primary care and secondary care staff, and ambulance control teams in each district should cooperate in establishing a list of all patients who are known to be sensitive to high-dose oxygen therapy.

Dr Ronan O’Driscoll, Consultant Respiratory Specialist at Salford Royal NHS Foundation trust, said: ‘Oxygen is a very important drug and should also be prescribed and monitored like any other medication. It is very beneficial to many patients, but can be harmful if misused.’